Collapsible tube squeezer with combined handle and presser foot



Dec. 2 1952 BERGLUND 2,620,092

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE SQUEEZER WITH COMBINED HANDLE AND PRESSER FOOT Filed March 22, 1949 4 TTOHNE) Patented Dec. 2, 1952 COLLAPSIBLE TUBE SQUEEZER WITH COM- BINED HANDLE AND PRESSER FOOT A David J. Berglund, United States Army Application March 22, 1949, Serial No. 82,893

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) l 4 Claims.

The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to dispensers for tooth paste and the like, such as is generally stored in collapsible tubes and has for its primary object to provide a bracketed device which may be permanently mounted on the wall of a bathroom so as to support a collapsible tube and be manually operated to dispense a small amount of the contents from time to time as desired.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a novel mounting for the operating handle and compressor, whereby movement of the handle in one direction beyond a predetermined limit will provide a space for the initial insertion of a tube to be operated upon, and operation of the handle and compressor in the opposite direction will apply pressure to the rear end of the tube to cause a discharge of a portion of its contents.

Another object of the invention consists in providing a tooth paste dispenser provided with a novel arrangement for supporting auxiliary elements such as toothbrushes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the dispensing device as it would appear when attached to a wall ready for use, the tube of shaving cream, tooth paste or the like being indicated in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the dispenser attached to a wall, parts being shown in section;

Figure 3 is an end view thereof, the handle being partly broken away and being shown in dotted lines as being compressed against the rear end of a collapsible tube, and in full lines being shown as a contacting pair of abutments; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

The dispensing device of the present invention is of the clamping type, and as illustrated herein, the effective part of the dispenser is illustrated as mounted on a base member secured to a wall but as the description proceeds, it will be apparent that the effective part of the mechanism could, if desired, be mounted directly on a wall or any other flat surface.

As herein constituted a plate I of metal or any other preferred material and of the desired size and shape is secured directly to a wall A, as by means of screws 2. Detachably connected to the plate I, is a hollow box-like base member 3, preferably of some resilient material, metal, composition or the like, and may be provided on one longitudinal edge with an inwardly directed flange 4, adapted to engage in a groove or rabbeted portion 5, on a longitudinal edge of the plate I. The other longitudinal edge of the base member is suitably apertured to receive screws 5 by means of which the base member may be releasably secured to the plate I.

The effective elements of the dispenser comprise a combined handle and presser and is indicated generally by the numeral 6. This handle is shown as being relatively thick so as to provide a compressor presser-foot part 1; this presser-foot portion being formed by hinging the handle 6 at one edge as indicated by the numeral 8. The element 6-! may be formed of Plexiglas or other preferred material and is preferably incased at one end by metal sheathing 9, to minimize wear and tear and to provide an anchorage for a hinge pintle II], which is seated in a notch extending transversely at one edge of the handle 6 and held in position therein by the metal sheathing, which extends over the notch. The ends of the pintle 10 extend beyond the edges of the handle 6 and form hinge elements which cooperate with hinge elements on the base member 3, so as to pivotally and resiliently mount the handle and presser-foot 6-1 on the base. In the present illustration, the hinge elements on the base 3, which are indicated by the numeral II, are integrally formed as a part of coil springs 12; these springs being located on the interior of the box-like base 3, and having one end extending outwardly through the coils of the spring and through apertures I3 on the base member and terminating in the eyes or loops H, which engage about the exposed ends of the pintle I0.

On the upper edge of the base 3 may be integrally or otherwise secured, one or more abutments [4, which lie in the path of travel of the handle 6 when the latter is moved upwardly, as clearly indicated in Figure 3. As shown in full lines in this figure, the handle 6 has been raised upwardly so as to engage the abutments l4, so that the latter serve as a fulcrum to move the pivoted end of the handle 6, and presserfoot 1, bodily away from the base member 3, against the pressure of springs [2, thereby providing a space into which the rear end or base of a collapsible tube may initially be inserted.

In the dotted line position of the handle 6, the latter is illustrated as having been moved downwardly so as to cause the presser-foot l to squeeze the rear end of the tube the desired amount to discharge the desired quantity of the particular paste. As this portion of the tube becomes completely flattened by repeated downward operation of the handle 6, the position of the tube may be changed by swinging the handle upwardly and applying pressure thereto against the abutments 14, so as to again bodily move the handle and presser-foot away from the base 3, to provide the necessary space to permit the collapsed portion of the tube to be moved rearwardly so that the presser-foot may be again caused to cooperate with a filled portion of the tube in a manner which will be readily understood.

In order that the dispensing device may also be employed as a support or rack for toothbrushes or other accessories, plates 15, provided with notches 16 on one edge thereof may be fixed to the. base member 3, so as to provide apertures for the reception of toothbrush handles or the like. In the present disclosure, these plates, which may be formed of Plexiglas or other preferred composition are formed as an integral part of blocks H, which may be secured to the base 3 by screws 18. These blocks II are preferably mounted at the side edges of the combined handle and presser-foot 6, so as to conceal the pintle l and hinge elements i I, and to this end, it is desirable that the block I! be provided with slots I9, so that the hinge pintle l3 and hinge elements ll may be moved away from the base member 3 in the manner heretofore indicated.

In the operation of this novel dispensing mechanism as heretofore indicated, the handle 6 is first raised and pressed firmly against the abutments I4, so as to cause a camming action to bodily move the handle and presser-foot into spaced relation with the base 3, to permit the entrance of the rear end of a fresh tube of paste. Thereafter pressure is released on the handle and the springs l2 automatically draw the hinge elements H and pintle it towards the base 3, so that the hinged edge of the handle will engage and clamp the tube against the base 3. Downward movement of the handle 6 will cause the free edge of the handle, that is the presser-foot i, to engage the tube and force out therefrom a modicum of the contents. This action may be repeated from time to time until the immediate portion of the tube is entirely flattened, after which the combined handle and presser-foot is again moved bodily away from the base 3, as heretofore mentioned, and the flattened portion of 4 the tube pressed rearwardly into the space provided so that the presser foot may again be brought into contact with a loaded portion of the tube.

I claim:

1. A dispenser for collapsible. tubes including, a hollow base adapted to be secured to a wall, a combined handle and presser foot, a hinge pintle mounted on the handle, a pair of coil springs in the hollow portion of the base and having terminals extending through the coils and through the wall of the base, and hooks formed on said terminals for cooperation with the hinge pintle.

2. A dispenser for collapsible tubes including, a base adapted to be secured to a wall, a combined handle and presser foot pivotally and resiliently mounted on the base to yieldingly hold the pressed foot against the base, and an abutment on one of said elements adapted to engage the other element when the handle is swung in one direction to thereby bodily move the presser foot into spaced relation to the base,

3. A dispenser for collapsible tubes including, a base adapted to be secured to a wall, a. combined handle and presser foot pivotally and resiliently mounted on the base to yieldingly hold the presser foot against the base, and an abutment on the base in the path of movement of the handle in one direction, whereby the presser foot may be bodily moved into spaced relation to the base against the pressure of said resilient mounting.

4. A dispenser for collapsible tubes including, a base adapted to be secured. to a wall, a combined handle and presser foot, a hinge element on the handle, a cooperating hinge element on the base, a shank on the latter hinge element passing through the base, a spring cooperating with said shank to yieldingly hold the presser foot against the base, and an abutment in. the path of movement of the handle in one direction adapted to cause a bodily movement of the presser foot away from the base.

DAVID J'. B'ERGLUND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date- 84,440 Reese Nov. 24, 1.868 1,607,501 Anderson Nov. 16, 1926 1,964,311 Brehm June 2-6, 1934. 2,148,321 Oplinger Feb. 2-1, 1939 2,179,012 Kach Nov. 7, 1939 2,466,628 Waiters Apr. 5, 1949 

